2019 Nigeria Women Premier League

The 2019 Nigeria Women Premier League began July 24, 2019. The league was earlier scheduled to start in February, but due to logistic reasons and commencement of other competitions, it was postponed to March,[1] May[2] then later July.[3] Prior to the start of the league, a congress was held in Abuja on June 27, with representatives from Nigeria Football Federation.[4] Due to failure of some teams to pay their indemnities, the agreed date at the congress was shifted from July 17 to July 24.[5][6]

Nigeria Women Premier League
Season2019
ChampionsRivers Angels
Matches played48
Goals scored103 (2.15 per match)
← 2018
2020–21 →

At the end of the 2018 Nigeria Women Premier League, Pelican Stars and Sure Babes were relegated to the lower division while Dream Stars Ladies and Invincible Angels gained promotion to the League.[7] Bayelsa Queens returns as defending champions, while Kaduna Queens bought the slot of Jokodolu Babes to compete in the elite division.

At the end of the regular season, Confluence Queens, Bayelsa Queens, Rivers Angels and Adamawa Queens topped their group, thereby qualifying for the super 4 competition to determine the overall winner of the league, while Osun Babes, Dream Stars Ladies, Kaduna Queens and Invincible Angels proceed to relegation playoffs.[8][9]

Format

For the 2019 season, an abridged league format of four groups was adopted with four teams in each group. The top team in each of the four groups will play a super four mini-tournament at the end of the league to determine the overall winner of the league. The last placed team in each group will engage in a playoff to determine the two teams that will be relegated to the lower division.[10][11]

Major transfers

The league saw the arrival of two Gambian internationals, Penda Bah and Isatou Jallow joining Rivers Angels and Dream Stars Ladies (with Jallow later joining Angels) respectively.[12][13] Other major transfers included the arrival of 2018 second top scorer, Anjor Major to league winners, Bayelsa Queens.[14][15] Rofiat Sule, who was the top scorer during the 2016 and 2017 season also moved from Rivers Angels to Bayelsa Queens in a deal that is considered as the biggest in the history of Nigerian women club football.[16] In August 2019, former captain of Ghana women's national under-20 football team, Grace Adams signed a year deal with Rivers Angels from a team in the United States.[17]

Non-Nigerian players during 2019 season
Player Club Nationality
Grace Adams Rivers Angels Ghana
Zogo Mete Heartland Queens Cameroon
Penda Bah Rivers Angels Gambia
Carine Yoh Sunshine Queens Cameroon
Ajieh Vivian Delta Queens Ghana
Ossol Kevine Abia Angels Cameroon
Tantoh Melvis Delta Queens Cameroon
Bakendji Reine Abia Angels Cameroon
Patience Adjetey Delta Queens Ghana
Isatou Jallow Rivers Angels Gambia
Bilong Maxi Abia Angels Cameroon

Finals table

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Rivers Angels (Q) 6 4 1 1 6 3 +3 13 Qualification to the Super 4
2 FC Robo 6 3 2 1 8 5 +3 11
3 Delta Queens 6 2 2 2 5 4 +1 8
4 Osun Babes (R) 6 0 1 5 4 11 −7 1 Qualification to the Relegation play-offs
Source: The NWFL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified to the phase indicated; (R) Relegated.

Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Adamawa Queens (Q) 6 3 3 0 4 1 +3 12 Qualification to the Super 4
2 Edo Queens 6 3 1 2 7 5 +2 10
3 Heartland Queens 6 2 1 3 6 9 −3 7
4 Dream Stars Ladies F.C. (R) 6 1 1 4 5 7 −2 4 Qualification to the Relegation play-offs
Source: The NWFL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(Q) Qualified to the phase indicated; (R) Relegated.

Group C
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Bayelsa Queens (Q) 6 3 2 1 9 5 +4 11 Qualification to the Super 4
2 Sunshine Queens 6 3 2 1 7 4 +3 11
3 Nasarawa Amazons 6 1 3 2 10 8 +2 6
4 Kaduna Queens[lower-alpha 1] (R) 6 1 1 4 4 13 −9 4 Qualification to the Relegation play-offs
Source: The NWFL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(Q) Qualified to the phase indicated; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Kaduna Queens bought the slot of Jokodolu Babes

Group D
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Confluence Queens (Q) 6 3 2 1 10 5 +5 11 Qualification to the Super 4
2 Abia Angels 6 3 1 2 5 6 −1 10
3 Ibom Angels 6 3 0 3 7 5 +2 9
4 Invincible Angels (R) 6 1 1 4 5 11 −6 4 Qualification to the Relegation play-offs
Source: The NWFL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(Q) Qualified to the phase indicated; (R) Relegated.

Play-off stages

Relegation play-offs
Osun Babes1–1Kaduna Queens
Iloduba  51' (pen.) Report Anita
Penalties
4–3
FIFA Goal Project Pitch (Package B), Abuja
DreamStar FC Ladies1–1Invincible Angels
Nwaogu  21' Report Bashiru  84'
Penalties
4–3
FIFA Goal Project Pitch (Package B), Abuja
  • Kaduna Queens and Invincible Angels were relegated to the Pro-league.

Semi-finals
Adamawa Queens0–2Confluence Queens
Report Usang  3', 26'
Bayelsa Queens0–0Rivers Angels
Report
Penalties
3–4

Third place match
Adamawa Queens0–4Bayelsa Queens
Report
  • Ilivieda  10' (pen.)
  • Sule  30'
  • Biahwo  56'
  • Jerry  90+2'


Final
Rivers Angels1–0Confluence Queens
Nku  3' (pen.) Report
 2019 Nigeria Women Premier League Winners 
Rivers Angels
6th title

Nigeria Women Pro-league Play-offs

Four teams qualified for the promotion playoffs; Olori Babes, Pelican Stars, Police Female Machine, Moje Queens. The four teams would play each other once in a round robin tournament, the two highest ranked teams shall be promoted to the 2020 Nigeria Women Premier League.

All matches were played at the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Olori Babes FC (P) 3 3 0 0 5 1 +4 9 Promotion to the 2020 Nigeria Women Premier League
2 Pelican Stars (P) 3 2 0 1 8 3 +5 6
3 Police Female Machine FC 3 1 0 2 4 8 −4 3
4 Moje Queens 3 0 0 3 2 7 −5 0
Source: The NWFL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(P) Promoted.

Round 1

Pelican Stars4–1Police Female Machine FC
Olori Babes FC1–0Moje Queens


Round 2

Olori Babes FC2–1Pelican Stars
Police Female Machine FC3–2Moje Queens


Round 3

Moje Queens0–3Pelican Stars
Police Female Machine FC0–2Olori Babes FC

References
  1. Ahmadu, Samuel (2019-02-06). "Solomon Dalung solicits financial support for Nigeria Women Premier League commencement". Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  2. "NWPL: AGM postponement hinders league resumption".
  3. "2019/2020 Nigeria Women Premier League kicks off Today".
  4. "Nigeria Women League to begin abridged 2018/2019 season July 17". Brila. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  5. "Nigeria Women's Premier League 2019 season kicks off on July 17". Goal.com. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  6. "NWPL postpones 2019 season's kick-off by one week". Guardian. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  7. Oba, Adeniji. "Dream Stars Ladies Pick Promotion to NWPL". Sports 247. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  8. "Confluence Queens, Rivers Angels, Adamawa Queens and Bayelsa Queens book NWPL Super Four berth".
  9. "Nigeria: NWPL Down to the Wire As Top Teams Battle for Super 4".
  10. "2018/2019 NWPL Season set to Kick-Off". Brila.net. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  11. "Nigeria Women's Premier League 2019 season kicks off on July 17".
  12. "Female Scorpion's Isatou Jallow Joins Nigeria's Rivers Angels on Season Long Loan".
  13. "Gambia's Penda Bah joins Nigerian side Dream Stars from Interior FC".
  14. "5 promising players to look out for in the Nigeria Women Premier League".
  15. "Five Young Players Ready to Shine in the 2018/2019 NWPL Season".
  16. "Five new signings to watch out for in the 2018/2019 NWPL season". Sport Compass. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  17. "Nigerian champions Rivers Angels FC sign former Black Princesses captain Grace Adams". Football Ghana. August 16, 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
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